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Zelensky says Ukraine ready to negotiate in any format: ‘We want peace, Putin doesn’t'
"We’re ready to negotiate in any format, bilateral, trilateral, what matters is peace,” Zelensky said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said that Ukraine was ready to go to the negotiation table in any format, while adding that they want peace.
“We want peace; Putin doesn’t. That’s why we need pressure on him. We’re ready to negotiate in any format, bilateral, trilateral, what matters is peace,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky was responding to a question on potential concessions, including NATO membership, to achieve peace with Russia during a bilateral lunch with President Donald Trump.
Zelensky is in Washington to hold arms talks with the US President, specifically regarding Ukraine's need for American Tomahawk missiles.
In response to the media query, Zelensky said that the first thing would be to “sit and speak”, adding that the next step would be a ceasefire. “The second point, we need ceasefire, which, as we see even in the Middle East, is very difficult to hold,” the Ukrainian leader said.
He further said that “pressure on” Putin was essential, adding that he would speak to Trump on what Ukraine needs to “push Putin to the negotiation table.”
Talking about NATO, he said that Ukraine needs security guarantees “above all”. “NATO is the best, but weapons, allies, and direct bilateral guarantees, especially between President Trump and me are most important,” Zelensky said, while adding that US was key to Ukraine's security.
Meanwhile, Trump during the lunch stressed that Putin wants to end the war. “…I think that President Putin wants to end the war, or I wouldn't be talking this way. I think he wants to end the war,” Trump said, adding that he had spoken to Putin for two and a half hours on Thursday.
“We went through a lot of details. He wants to get it ended. I think that President Zelenskyy wants to get it ended. Now we have to get it done,” Trump said.
